#86 - The Solution to the Great Travel Cell Phone Problem

The Solution to the Great Travel Cell Phone Problem

Welcome Back to Breakfast with Lisa & Josh!

Soundtrack for this newsletter: Hotline Bling - Drake

Ok,  it’s time to settle this once and for all.

One of the most frequent questions we get is this: “What should I do with my cell phone plan and number while I’m traveling????!? I can’t get text messages while I’m on vacation, so I can’t log into any of my bank accounts!!”

It’s a tricky question, and the stakes are surprisingly high to get it right.

So many people go on vacation without a plan for their phone while away, and then arrive in a foreign country to discover that they can’t receive any of those pesky required login text messages with a 6 digit code that seemingly every bank, credit card, and well.. basically everything uses these days.

If you don’t figure this out, it means that you’ll be fully locked out of accessing your money and most of the services you use as soon as you start your vacation, which is NOT a great way to kick things off.

NOTE: This one gets real nerdy and in depth, real fast. Feel free to read all the way through or come back and reference this one when you actually need to do this for your trip!

Doing this saved us well over $2,000 just last year alone, and allowed us to stay connected and log into all our banks and credit cards no matter where we are.

So even though there are a lot of steps, and this will get a bit technical, we found this method to be very worth it for us.

Let’s do this.

This is exactly what we’re trying to prevent.

Turns out that this one question is actually these 5 questions all wrapped into one:

1. What should I do with my cell phone plan and number while I’m traveling broad? Keep my current one and pay the wild international fees? 

2. How do I make sure that I can still log into everything, (like my bank, credit cards, and email), which often require a code that only comes through a text message?

3. How do I get cell phone data anywhere that I travel to? What if I’m going to a bunch of different countries? 

4. Do I need to do anything special to my phone to allow it to work in a different country?

5. How do I not spend a million dollars making all this happen?

I’m going to, in great detail, show you exactly how to make it to the connected-everywhere-on-earth-while-still-being-able-to-log-into-your-bank-at-home-and-not-go-broke promised land (if you want to stay connected, of course.)

QUICK NOTE: Moving your number to Google Fi was a reasonable and mostly cost-effective solution to all of these problems. We did this for a big chunk of time of our travels, actually…until….

They began (with no notice or warning) cancelling the accounts of people who travel for more than 2 months continuously. So it essentially became useless for long-term travel.

Also, this is written primarily for people from the US (sorry to our international friends—we’ll be working on some applicable info for you in the near future!)

Let’s start out with a list of things not to do:

Don’t be sad like this guy. Avoiding the big mistakes are easy.

1. Don’t keep your current cell phone provider if you’re leaving home for longer than 1-2 months.

2. Don’t pay for the crazy expensive international roaming data or phone plan on your current provider, ever.

3. Don’t give away your passport info to foreign cell phone companies in exchange for a cell phone plan when you arrive, unless you absolutely have to.

4. Don’t waste your time getting a physical SIM card, unless you have to. That’s so 2021.

Giving away your passport information in exchange for a phone data plan

is NOT a good trade.

Now that we know what not to do, let’s tackle these first two problems.

1. What should I do with my cell phone plan and number while I’m traveling? Keep my current one and pay the ludicrous international fees? 

2. How do I make sure that I can still log into everything that requires a code that only comes through a text message?

If you’re just going overseas for a few days-to-weeks, don’t bother with the rest of this. Ensure your carrier supports WiFi calling and texting (or move to one that does: Verizon, ATT, T-Mobile, Mint Mobile, Google Fi, etc) and make sure to not buy the wildly expensive (like the $5-$10 per day, or $150 per month) international plan.

You’ll still be paying your normal $50 per month plan cost, which is why we need to move over to Google Voice if we’re away from home for longer than a month.

Here’s a great link that explains WiFi calling, and how to use it: https://www.reviews.org/mobile/how-to-use-wi-fi-for-calls-and-texts/

You’ll leave your current carrier’s SIM card turned off in your phone settings while you’re traveling 99% of the time to avoid any roaming fees while abroad.

Make sure your cell phone plan has this feature.

Then, when you’re abroad and need to log into your bank or email and you have to get that text message code to do so (or you just want to chat with friends/family) - just connect to WiFi somewhere, turn your carrier’s SIM card back on, and WiFi calling and texting will deliver the text messages straight to your phone no matter where you are.

Easy peasy.

Kinda. It’s still pretty annoying, but this is the best current solution for a short international trip.

If you are in need of data while traveling, even on a 2-3 week trip, most phones now support multiple eSIMs, so you can download and purchase a plan through Airalo, for example, or Ubigi. (See below for more info.)

The rest of this advice is for people who are on longer trips, likely going to multiple different countries.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Going through these steps will move your phone number off your current cell phone provider, and to an internet-based service called Google Voice. You will lose your current cell phone plan in this process, and will need to get a data plan on your cell phone via another carrier.  

This is no small thing, and should only be done right before you leave for a long trip. 

ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE: Google Voice does not support every single phone number, meaning you might not be able to port your number.

The savior of International Travelers everywhere.

You can always move your number back to any cell phone provider, but this is a process that’s going to take a few days, maybe even a phone call or two. Just letting you know up front.

Be careful, you’re on your own, I’m not your tech support, etc, etc.

You’ve got this. Be smart.

We’ve found that this is the best solution to the problem of keeping your phone number while away.

When going on a longer trip (read: more than 3 countries and longer than 1 month), it’s time to move away from your current cell phone provider, and transfer your number to Google Voice.

What is Google Voice, I hear you asking?

It is a FREE service provided by Google that lets you receive text messages, phone calls and voicemails from anywhere in the world, on your cell phone number, via the internet, without needing to pay for a cell phone plan. 

The process of transferring your number over does cancel your existing cell phone plan, which also means you won’t have a data plan for your phone, but don’t worry, we’ve got a solution for that later.

It’s amazing, and I’ve been using it for well over 10 years now to allow me to travel the world and stay connected while I do it. I know, it sounds too good to be true, but really, this thing is incredible for full time travelers.

Here’s how it works -

This is how happy you should be on your vacation. Don’t pay $10 / day for crappy, slow cell phone data from your US provider while overseas.

1. You sign up for the service at https://voice.google.com, and get a randomly assigned new number - this requires a Google account, which you probably already have. If not, sign up for one.

2. You transfer your cell phone number over to Google Voice, before you leave for your trip. This replaces the randomly assigned new number you got in step 1, and cancels your existing cell phone plan in the process.

3. You now use the website https://voice.google.com to send and receive text messages, phone calls, and voicemails, on your personal phone number, through an app on your phone or computer, from anywhere in the world that you have an internet connection, for free.

4. You can now commence traveling internationally without worrying about a stupidly expensive cell phone plan back at home that you won’t be using anyway.

There’s a bunch of little steps in between 1 and 4, let’s go through them one-by-one.

This is the death of a fun vacation - the dreaded required text message to log in.

First, signing up for Google Voice. Start at the website, choose “Personal”, then continue to select your new phone number.

Put in the area code near you, and pick a sweet new phone number that will be assigned to you.

You’ll notice that it states “You must have an existing US-based mobile number to qualify” - this is where you current number comes in.

Now type in your current personal phone number, and it will send you a verification code. Type that into the prompt, and then you’ll see this:

Just look at this tiny settings button. So tiny. So cute.

You now have the ability to make phone calls and sends texts from your new Google Voice number from anywhere, but we need to transfer your personal number over.

Click Settings, then “Port your number to Google Voice”.

BEFORE YOU DO THIS: Moving your personal number to Google Voice will categorize it as a “VOIP (voice-over-IP number” instead of a “cell phone number” to the world.

That means that you won’t be able to use to sign up for some banks text message services (any that you’ve already signed up for will work after you switch).

Also, signing up for some other services like WhatsApp, Telegram, Line, Kakao Talk, food delivery services, ridesharing apps like Uber, all-in-one-apps like Grab may or may not work after you transfer your number over.

I still use my number to sign up for some of these services well after it’s been migrated to Google Voice, but there are definitely some that just won’t take my number as an acceptable one anymore.

So, before you go migrating your number over, make sure you sign up and create an account with any services that require a “real” phone number before you migrate.

Also, it costs $20 to move your number over.

I know, I said it was free, but this is just a one-time thing. Sorry :(

Take a deep breath if you’ve never done this before. It will be fine, and you can undo it in just a few days. It’s just a phone number.

From here, read the various warnings, understand them, take a few moments to process, and then, when you’re ready, type in your phone number and start the porting process.

Don’t worry, it’ll all be fine. You can undo all thus in just a few days time if things go sideways.

It will send you a verification text, and then ask for some information about porting your number over, like an account number and a PIN.

If it does, you may need to call your current cell phone provider and let them know that you are porting your number to another service, and then they will give you a PIN code. Many providers have this built right into their management apps as well.

Type in the PIN code and account number, hit submit, and now it’s just a waiting game.

Sometime in the next few days your phone number will migrate over to Google Voice, your existing cell phone plan will be shut off (yay, saving money!), and you can start sending and receiving texts and phone calls from your personal phone number via Google Voice.

Whew! Nice! 

If the status of your number shows as “Locked” like this screenshot, that’s how you know you have to call your provider to unlock it.

That’s how you port a cell phone number - this process is the same no matter where you want your number to go to. 

So, if you want to move away from Google Voice when you return home, just do this same process, but with your new service provider, like ATT or Verizon or Mint Mobile.

You can start testing it - here’s some verification text messages sent from my bank to Google Voice to show you what it looks like.

This is what success looks like. It feels good. It looks boring.

You can also use the iPhone or Android app for Google Voice to do all the same thing.

If it gave an error stating that your phone number could not be ported to Google Voice, you’re unfortunately out of luck. 

There are a bunch of other companies that offer a similar service for a small-ish price ($10/month is typical) that you can use. Here’s some links of the other companies that do Google Voice-like things:

Ok! That’s problems 1 and 2 down! 

Those are for sure the hardest problems, so let’s move on.

Great success! I would use this picture in every newsletter if I could. It’s so bad.

If you’ve been following along, you now have your number ported successfully to Google Voice, which allows you to send and receive phone calls and text messages from anywhere in the world, as long as you have a data plan from any carrier on your phone, or are connected to WiFi.

You would have also cancelled your existing cell phone plan, so it’s time to get a data plan for your phone.

It’s time for question 3:

So close to this. Just a little more.

3. How do I get cell phone data anywhere that I travel to? What if I’m going to a bunch of different countries? 

But wait, you say, don’t you need to get another phone number and sign up with another cell phone provider to do this?

We’re entering a new world now. A world where the only thing you need on your phone is data. No more calling minutes. No more text message restrictions.

Sweet, sweet data only. Data that works anywhere, for cheap.

We’re in AirAlo and Ubigi’s world now.

AirAlo is an eSim (electronic SIM card, AKA a piece of software you can install on your phone to get a cell phone plan) provider that sells plans that work literally anywhere on Planet Earth.

You don’t need to talk to anyone to sign up for their services, or provide a passport, or waste time waiting in line at a cell phone shop on your vacation. 

All you have to do is find the country that you’re flying to (the night before you fly there is just fine), choose how much data you need, install the SIM, and then just turn it on once you land.

Yes, it’s truly that easy. We do this the night before we fly anywhere, and it’s worked literally everywhere we’ve gone (70+ countries), and is dirt cheap.

 NOTE: If you’re going to Japan or South Korea, Ubigi (another eSim provider) works better there. Same process, same service, different company.

DOUBLE NOTE: This will only work for phones that support eSim, which is most phones from the last 3 years. Your phone also has to be Unlocked, which we cover in step 4.

Here’s a current list of phones that support eSim: https://esim.holafly.com/how-to/esim-phones/

Yep, data for everywhere in Europe, for $13. So convenient.

Ok, let’s go through the whole process of having no data plan at home, to buying an eSim and using it.

Install the Airalo app on your phone, and go to the country you’re interested in buying data in.

Pick a plan that makes sense, hit that sweet buy button.

After you buy the eSIM, just hit the install button. Read the instructions first. It will ask you if you want to install a new cell phone plan. Hit yes. Wait a little bit. Then come back to the app when it’s done.

Double check that you’ve got all your settings right, and then just turn on the data. The most commonly missed setting is “Data Roaming”. Make sure that’s on if the plan needs it.

There’s even plans that span a multitude of countries so you don’t have a buy a new one for each new country you go to, if you’re more of the globetrotting type.

Ok, that’s question 3.

On to 4.

Happy phones make happy people.

4. Do I need to do anything special to my phone to allow it to work in a different country?

Probably not.

The thing you’re checking for is whether or not your phone is “SIM Unlocked”. All that means is that you can put in any SIM or eSIM card from any carrier, and it will work in your phone.

Some companies, usually the eviler ones, will sell you phones that are locked to only their services and their SIM cards.

Here’s how to check if your phone is locked or unlocked: https://www.alphr.com/check-phone-unlocked/

If you aren’t one of the lucky ones with an unlocked phone, you will need to unlock it before you go overseas. The process is different for every carrier, and some may even charge you for it. It’s worth it.

Beware scammy looking unlock services - your provider should be the one to provide you the unlock code.

You can also just buy an unlocked phone on Amazon for like $100 before you head out the door.

Phone unlocked. Ready to go.

Ok, only one last thing to address.

Question 5: How do I not spend a million dollars making all this happen?

Let’s say we’re going on a theoretical trip around the world for a year, and compare the price to keeping the existing cell phone plan and paying the international fees.

3 months between NZ and Australia, 3 months in Asia, 3 months in Europe, and ending with 3 months in South / Central America.

Well, Google Voice is literally free after that one-time $20 porting fee. You can call any number is US or Canada for free from anywhere, and you can make international calls using it for a small fee, which we use sometimes.

Let’s throw $10 on there, which is how much Lisa and I spent all last year for the few calls we needed to make while traveling.

Let’s just buy the most expensive plan they offer - 20GB across 84 countries that lasts 180 days for $90.  Two of these will cover us anywhere we go for a whole year.

We could save money by buying individual plans for each country, but this is simpler.

$180 for data + $20 for porting fee + $10 for international calling = $210 total for the whole year. That’s $17.50 per month.

Compare this against, say, Verizon. You’d be paying the $50 per month for their service, plus $5 per day for their international service add-on. 

$50 per month for 12 months = $600. $5 per day for 365 days = $1825.

Add that up, $2425. Just over $200 per month. All just to keep your phone number with your carrier. 

Nope. Nope nope nope.

You’ll literally be saving that much money by not bringing your current cell phone plan on your next trip.

Save yourself the $2225 difference and use that to buy yourself another entire month on the road, instead of overpaying just to get cell phone service you won’t use.

The important thing to remember with all of this is that a solution to this problem is required in some way if you’re from the US. 

You can’t just leave home, forsaking your cell phone number, and hope for the best. 

At least one of your banks or credit cards or email services will require sending you a text message to use it.

Amazon does.

All our frequent flier programs do.

Booking.com does.

It’s annoying, believe me I understand, but it just is what it is if you live in the USA.

Everywhere does text message authentication, and you just have to play that game.  

Hope this helps you solve that problem, and saves you a bunch of money on your next trip like it did for us!

See you next week!

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See you next week…ish :)

- josh (and lisa)

Oh, and if you want to learn how we afford to take all these trips after quitting our jobs 3 years ago, you’ll likely be interested in our Skillshare course on Travel Hacking and Frequent Flier Miles.

It’s been really taking off lately, but we still have a few uses of this link left for those of you who want to see the class for free. It comes with a free month of Skillshare, which is more than enough to watch our class and any of the other great courses on there!